Hizbullah appeals to UK over ban

[cal04]

A leading member of the militant Lebanese group Hizbullah has urged Britain not to bow to US and Israeli pressure by continuing to outlaw the organisation.
Rima Fakhry, the only woman member of Hizbullah's leadership, spoke to the Guardian during a trip to London that ends today.

The British government has outlawed Hizbullah's military wing, which it calls its "external security organisation", because it regards it as a terrorist operation. A UK review of whether to ban the group's political wing is expected to report soon, the Guardian has learned.

Mrs Fakhry urged Britain and Europe to resist US and Israeli pressure to decide Hizbullah is a terrorist group: "There is no reason for that and Europe knows it is not true Hizbullah is a terrorist group." She insisted the group's military actions were targeted only against Israelis inside Lebanon: "When someone comes and kills our people we have to kill him, and we have many ways to defend our people." Hizbullah was prominent in Lebanese armed resistance to Israel's invasion and occupation.

In 2000, when Israeli forces pulled out, Hizbullah claimed a small area of the country, Shebaa Farms, which borders Lebanon and Syria. The Israelis continue to occupy the farms, although the official view of Syria, the current Lebanese government and Hizbullah is that the area belongs to Lebanon, which is why Hizbullah engages with the Israelis there. Mrs Fakhry, appointed to Hizbullah's political council six months ago, said the group would ignore a UN resolution demanding militias in Lebanon disarm: "We keep our weapons because Israel occupies Shebaa Farms, we still have captives in Israeli jails and Israel is still practising violations against us."

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/foreignaffairs/story/0,11538,1505123,00.html

[Igel]

1. Things like the Sheba'a farms used to be called a provocation.

A useful term that's dropped out of our political vocabulary, by and large.

The area's history is well know, and the only reason to buy the minority view is to further the provocation, providing the first point in justification for Hizbullah.